Chapter 271: Heaven-Overturning Seal, Reason for Refusal, Nascent Soul's Concession

A foreign female Foundation Establishment blacksmith had traced out second-tier artifact patterns in the void at the Fierce Sun Peak plaza, and she was even preparing to refine a Magic Treasure.

This news quickly spread throughout the entire Heavenly Foundry Sect.

Numerous Golden Core Perfected Persons paid close attention, flocking to Fierce Sun Peak one after another.

Upon asking, they learned that the rumors of the female Foundation Establishment cultivator comprehending a second-tier artifact pattern were entirely true.

Now, she was at Fierce Sun Peak refining a Magic Treasure.

However, the grand array of Fierce Sun Peak had already been activated, completely barring the other Golden Core Perfected Persons of the Heavenly Foundry Sect from entering.

"Tianyang, go tell the others that the results will naturally be revealed within two months. There is no need to wait here."

"Yes, Honored Master."

Rong Tianyang turned and left, transforming into a streak of light as he flew out of the Fierce Sun Peak grand array.

"Greetings, Senior Brothers and Martial Uncles."

"Tianyang, that artifact refining prodigy is currently forging at your Fierce Sun Peak. Could you let us in to take a look?" a white-haired old man asked with a smile, stroking his beard.

"Martial Uncle Yanzhen, my Honored Master has ordered that Xu Deling is not to be disturbed while she refines," Rong Tianyang said, cupping his fists. "The results will be known within two months, so there is no need for everyone to keep waiting here.

Once the Magic Treasure is forged, I will naturally send word to you all, inviting you to appraise it together."

"Fierce Sun is as stingy as always. Does he want to hoard this genius all to himself? I, Yan Zhen, am determined to claim this Foundation Establishment girl!"

"Martial Uncle Yanzhen, you really did come to take a disciple," a Golden Core Perfected Person remarked.

"What else?!"

"In terms of Dao of Artifacts mastery, who in the sect dares to say they are better than me besides the Grand Elders? Even Fierce Sun falls short by quite a margin."

True Lord Yanzhen looked exceptionally proud.

He had dedicated a tremendous amount of time to the study of artifice.

True Lord Fierce Sun, who was roughly his age, had already reached Golden Core Perfection and was preparing to break through to the Nascent Soul realm, while he was still only a Late-Stage Golden Core cultivator.

"Everyone, please do not disturb Xu Deling's refining," Rong Tianyang said, cupping his hands once more.

"Fine, fine." Seeing this, Yan Zhen waved his hand. "When that girl finishes her refinement, notify me immediately!

Otherwise, you know the consequences!"

With that, True Lord Yanzhen stopped pressing the issue, transforming into a streak of light as he returned to his own mountain peak.

Seeing this, the other Golden Core Perfected Persons also departed one by one.

Rong Tianyang let out a sigh of relief.

Just one Xu Deling had truly caused quite a stir.

And she was only an outsider. If such a blacksmith prodigy emerged from within the sect itself, those Golden Core Perfected Persons would likely raise a tremendous uproar fighting over her.

Glancing at the artifact refining plaza at the foot of the mountain, he noticed that ever since the news spread, large crowds of disciples gathered there every day.

Widespread discussion filled the air ceaselessly.

Some even started betting on which Elder in the sect would take her as a disciple.

Shaking his head with a chuckle, he turned and headed back up Fierce Sun Peak.

The main peak of the Heavenly Foundry Sect.

It housed a mid-grade tier 4 Spirit Vein along with several tier 3 Spirit Veins.

The back mountain was enveloped by a grand array, forming a tranquil sanctuary where birds sang amidst fragrant flowers, heavily shrouded in dense Spiritual Qi.

This was the secluded cultivation retreat of the Heavenly Foundry Sect's two Grand Elders.

An elegant, middle-aged man with graying temples passed through the grand array, strolling leisurely in a courtyard-like manner.

He was the Sect Master of the Heavenly Foundry Sect.

He was one of the few people in the Heavenly Foundry Sect who could directly request an audience with the Grand Elders.

"Grand Elders, an amusing incident recently occurred within the sect. A female Foundation Establishment blacksmith came to challenge our Heavenly Foundry Sect."

There was no response from the surroundings. He continued, almost as if talking to himself, "This was originally a wager made by Junior Brother Fierce Sun's lineage.

However, that female cultivator exceeded all expectations. After defeating Martial Nephew Tianyang's disciple, she openly challenged all the artifact forging talents of our Heavenly Foundry Sect's younger generation."

"Such an interesting matter occurred?"

Suddenly.

A deep yet incredibly gentle voice echoed through the surrounding space.

"You didn't come here to tell us that our Heavenly Foundry Sect's Foundation Establishment blacksmith disciples were truly swept by a single person, did you?"

Another voice rang out, this one sounding noticeably more gruff.

"No."

"Hmph, if they were truly single-handedly defeated, then our current disciples are a bunch of useless trash and desperately need some harsh tempering!"

"But they are close to it."

"What do you mean?" The gruff voice paused.

"Right now, only my disciple Zhu Rong is holding on?"

"Hasn't your disciple already mastered the method of refining Three-Pattern Dharma Tools?" the gentle voice asked.

"Yes, but that girl successfully traced out a second-tier artifact pattern in public!" The Heavenly Foundry Sect Master sighed softly. "For the sake of our Heavenly Foundry Sect's reputation, that child Zhu Rong is stubbornly holding on and refusing to admit defeat.

After all, they are competing in artifice.

He cannot match her mastery over artifact patterns, but if she fails to forge a Magic Treasure, the outcome will be a draw at best."

"A grand artifact refining sect like ours, unable to match an outsider Rogue Cultivator blacksmith—and a young girl at that? The disciples of the Heavenly Foundry Sect truly are useless trash nowadays!"

The gruff voice cursed repeatedly.

The Sect Master offered a bitter smile, not daring to talk back.

"Yan Longzi, you really need to rein in that temper of yours," the gentle voice reprimanded. "If it were you back in the day, even after becoming a Golden Core cultivator, you probably wouldn't have been able to match her in the Dao of Artifacts, right?"

"Senior Brother Zhen Yangzi, I'm not you. To me, artifice is just a casual hobby. If she wants to compare herself to me, it should be based on core formation speed and divine abilities!

Back then, I successfully achieved Divine Ability Core Formation just over the age of one hundred and twenty!

Could that little girl compare to me?"

Yan Longzi declared proudly.

"That is not necessarily true," Zhen Yangzi chuckled lightly. "To break through the limits at the Foundation Establishment stage and comprehend a second-tier artifact pattern requires more than just Artifact Forging Talent; one also needs extraordinary comprehension and even special fortunes.

Whether she can achieve Divine Ability Core Formation is hard to say, but I suspect it is highly likely she has also comprehended Divine Ability Power."

Yan Longzi fell silent for a moment before asking, "How old is this girl?"

"I haven't seen her in person, but according to Zhu Rong, she looks incredibly young. She likely consumed a Youth-Retaining Pill or something similar.

Since she dared to challenge the entire younger generation, she's probably under one hundred and twenty years old as well."

"Interesting," Yan Longzi muttered. "With such high Artifact Forging Talent and a solid chance at Divine Ability Core Formation, I truly want to take a look at her."

The Sect Master added, "Right now, that girl is forging a Magic Treasure at Junior Brother Fierce Sun's peak. She stated that there would be a result within two months."

Zhen Yangzi chuckled. "You didn't come here just to report this one matter, did you?"

"The Grand Elders have eyes as sharp as a torch. Right now, many of my Junior Brothers want to take her as a disciple. Junior Brother Yanzhen, in particular, is causing quite a scene.

So, I was hoping to invite the two Grand Elders to take a look when the time comes.

If she truly manages to forge a Magic Treasure, it would be best to bring such an artifact refining prodigy into the sect.

Otherwise, once she grows powerful in the future, she might establish a major artifact forging sect capable of rivaling our Heavenly Foundry Sect."

Hearing this, both Yan Longzi and Zhen Yangzi fell silent.

From the time their founding ancestor established the Heavenly Foundry Sect, it had merely been an ordinary artifact refining sect. It wasn't until the appearance of their Revival Patriarch that the sect reached its current lofty status.

At his peak, that Revival Patriarch had reached the realm of a Late-Stage Nascent Soul Grand Cultivator.

During that era, the Heavenly Foundry Sect stood among the five greatest top-tier sects.

Later, when that patriarch passed away due to reaching the limit of his Lifespan, the sect failed to produce a new Late-Stage Nascent Soul Grand Cultivator, leading to a decline in their standing.

Still, relying on their artifact refining techniques, their position remained on par with the top-tier sects.

Eventually, the Profound Moon Sect rose abruptly to power, becoming the new top-tier sect in the Heavenly South.

As for the Clear Void Sect, Azure Cloud Sect, Thunder Sound Temple, and Feather Transformation Sect, they had always maintained their status as top-tier sects, their Late-Stage Nascent Soul Inheritances never once severed.

Their deep foundations were absolutely incomparable to any newly risen top-tier sects.

"Understood. Yan Longzi and I will consider this matter carefully," Zhen Yangzi said.

The Sect Master cupped his hands and immediately took his leave.

Zhen Yangzi and Yan Longzi gazed into the distance, their sights locking onto Fierce Sun Peak fifty kilometers away. Their Divine Sense pierced through the grand array, observing Xu Deling as she worked.

At this moment, Xu Deling was selecting her Materials.

The tier 3 materials provided by Fierce Sun Peak were far more abundant and of much higher quality than what she and Perfected Person Fire Cloud had painstakingly gathered.

'Since they are being so generous, I'll just forge that Magic Treasure. I can give it to Grandfather as a gift when I return. Smashing people with the Heaven-Overturning Seal should be quite effective.'

Xu Deling began to ponder the refining method and the artifact patterns she needed to carve.

'Just using the second-tier 'Suppress', 'Mountain', or 'Solidify' patterns alone won't result in a perfect fit. Perhaps I should try using 'Suppress' as the main pattern, with 'Mountain' and 'Solidify' as auxiliary support.'

However, this was also Xu Deling's first time attempting such a complex combination.

Yet, since she had made up her mind, she would go through with it.

Since she was young, Xu Chuan had taught her to be bold in her attempts and courageous in her innovations. Only then could she walk further along the path of the Dao of Artifacts!

The Demon Spirit Forging Method was precisely a result of her experimentation with integrating the Demonic Spirit Pill into the process.

Back when Xu Deling first realized that Demon Spirits held great potential for artifice, she had sought guidance from Xu Chuan, who had shared his insights without any reservation.

Two or three days later.

At the back mountain of the Heavenly Foundry Sect's main peak.

"Senior Brother Zhen Yangzi, did you notice? That girl hasn't just broken her limits in the Dao of Artifacts. Her Divine Sense has also broken past its limits. She actually possesses a Golden Core level Divine Sense while only in the Foundation Establishment stage," Yan Longzi remarked in astonishment.

"Junior Brother Yan Longzi, you're mistaken. I suspect her Divine Sense broke through first, and only after her soul underwent a transformation did she manage to comprehend a second-tier artifact pattern.

Comprehending it with a Golden Core level Divine Sense is naturally far easier than doing so with a Foundation Establishment Divine Sense.

Such a limit-breaking transformation would also enhance her innate comprehension."

Yan Longzi nodded. "Perhaps you are right, Senior Brother."

In the blink of an eye, over half a month passed.

Zhen Yangzi suddenly stroked his beard and laughed. "Fascinating. She really is a courageous little girl!"

"She probably hasn't forged many Magic Treasures before, yet she dares to attempt engraving auxiliary first-tier patterns onto it. Although doing so will make the finished Magic Treasure more flawless, the difficulty is no small matter."

Yan Longzi was immediately astonished. "Many of the Golden Core level blacksmiths in our sect are only capable of going this far."

"This sheer drive truly makes me fond of her!"

"Is Junior Brother tempted to take her in?"

"I am, but if you intend to fight me for her, Senior Brother, I definitely can't win against a Mid-Stage Nascent Soul cultivator like yourself. You're a Grandmaster Smith capable of forging limit-breaking nine-pattern Magic Treasures, after all.

Besides, at most, I could only teach her how to cultivate divine abilities. In terms of artifice, my skills are only marginally better than hers; I can just barely forge Mid-Grade Magic Treasures.

With her talent, once she steps into the Golden Core realm, it probably won't be long before she surpasses me entirely.

As her master, wouldn't I lose all face then?"

Zhen Yangzi smiled faintly, deciding not to expose Yan Longzi's true thoughts.

The fact that he spoke so much meant he was extremely fond of Xu Deling. He was just afraid that if she were to choose her master and didn't pick him, his pride wouldn't be able to handle it.

Another half month passed.

During this period, Xu Deling consumed pills to restore her Mana multiple times just to hold on.

Even her Divine Sense was severely depleted, her forehead covered in a fine layer of sweat.

"This girl is quite stubborn. For a Foundation Establishment cultivator, simply forging an ordinary Magic Treasure is already incredibly difficult, with a failure rate of nine out of ten.

Yet she insists on increasing the difficulty for herself.

If not for the support of those high-grade pills, she would have failed long ago.

However, as someone from a Rogue Cultivator background, where did she get so many second-tier high-grade pills?

Even if ordinary pill shops had second-tier high-grade pills, they wouldn't sell them in bulk. They mostly use them as gimmicks to attract other immortal cultivators."

Yan Longzi and Zhen Yangzi only needed to spare a sliver of their Divine Sense to observe her, keeping most of their focus on their own cultivation.

Yet the more he watched, the more Yan Longzi grew to like Xu Deling.

That relentless drive and the ruthlessness she showed toward herself perfectly mirrored his own youth, when he had pushed himself to the absolute limit for the sake of Divine Ability Core Formation.

"This Magic Treasure will need another half a month to be completely forged, but her Divine Sense can no longer hold out.

If she possessed Golden Core Mana, her refining speed would easily double, and her Divine Sense wouldn't be drained this heavily."

Zhen Yangzi's voice carried a hint of pity.

Then, under the observation of his Divine Sense, he watched as Xu Deling brushed her hand over her Storage Pouch, from which a Porcelain Bottle flew out.

The stopper automatically popped off, and a pill shot out, flying directly into Xu Deling's mouth.

'I still have to use the Spirit-Nourishing Pill Grandfather prepared for me, after all.'

When she had left Yunxi, Xu Chuan had given her a Storage Pouch containing numerous pills for restoring Mana, healing injuries, and replenishing Divine Sense.

All of these pills were of high-grade quality.

The most precious among them were, naturally, the three high-grade Spirit-Nourishing Pills.

Xu Chuan had sacrificed so much for Xu Deling, which was why she was going all out to prepare a proper gift for him.

"That's a Spirit-Nourishing Pill, and it's a high-grade one at that!" Yan Longzi exclaimed in shock.

While a Spirit-Nourishing Pill was naturally nothing to him now, it was incredibly precious because it was a pill that nurtured and restored Divine Sense.

Throughout the entire Heavenly South, there were very few factions capable of producing a high-grade Spirit-Nourishing Pill.

"Senior Brother, is this girl truly the disciple of a Rogue Cultivator blacksmith? Her master shouldn't be able to provide such a precious pill, right?

Including all the pills she consumed earlier, the total value is already well over two thousand Spirit Stones.

What blacksmith could possibly throw around wealth like this?"

"Perhaps it was an unexpected windfall, or maybe her master truly prepared them. Or perhaps she possesses a profound background of her own and hails from some top-tier alchemy aristocratic family."

With this high-grade Spirit-Nourishing Pill, the vast majority of Xu Deling's depleted Divine Sense was restored.

She began the process of engraving the first-tier auxiliary patterns.

Seven or eight days later.

Xu Deling finally succeeded in forging the Heaven-Overturning Seal Magic Treasure. Looking as if she had collapsed from utter exhaustion, she immediately sat cross-legged and swallowed pills to recover her strength.

Hovering in front of her was a large square seal, roughly three inches tall and nearly five inches wide. It was deep ink-black in color, gleaming with an archaic, matte luster.

It naturally exuded a faint, oppressive aura, bearing a momentum as heavy as a mountain.

The front of the grand seal was engraved with the ancient script for "Heaven-Overturning". The brushstrokes were vigorous and powerful, with dragons and snakes seemingly hidden within them. The back depicted a lifelike illustration of the true forms of the Five Great Mountains.

Atop the seal sat a carved beast knob resembling a profound tortoise. The patterns on its shell faintly resonated with the mountain diagrams on the seal's body. The tortoise's head was raised slightly, its eyes bright and piercing, as if capable of seeing through all illusions.

"Senior Brother, what do you think of this Magic Treasure? With my eyes, I can only tell that it is quite excellent," Yan Longzi said with a smile.

"Among one-pattern Magic Treasures, it is a rare exquisite piece. The 'Suppress' pattern acts as the core, supported by the 'Mountain' and 'Solidify' patterns. Its main purpose should be suppressing and smashing foes.

Integrating offense and defense. Because the three artifact patterns perfectly complement and empower each other, it should have no problem withstanding an attack from a two-pattern Magic Treasure."

Zhen Yangzi stroked his beard and smiled faintly, clearly thoroughly pleased. "I'm afraid the blacksmiths of the same level within our sect wouldn't be able to forge many Magic Treasures capable of matching this one."

"Haha! For her to earn such high praise from you, Senior Brother, this girl truly is incredible!"

Half a day later.

Having recovered most of her energy, Xu Deling walked out the doors of the Forging Room.

The Restriction on the Forging Room could block the probing of Golden Core Divine Sense, meaning that True Lord Fierce Sun, Perfected Person Fire Cloud, and Rong Tianyang waiting outside had absolutely no idea how Xu Deling's forging process had ended.

"Disciple, how did it go?" Perfected Person Fire Cloud asked with evident concern.

Xu Deling smiled softly. "Please appraise it, Honored Master."

With a flip of her hand, a massive pitch-black square seal materialized upon her palm, which she then presented before the group.

"It truly is a Magic Treasure!"

"Hahaha! I knew my dear Ling'er would never let me down!"

Perfected Person Fire Cloud stroked his beard, roaring with laughter.

At that moment, Rong Tianyang suddenly interjected, "Wait, this Magic Treasure seems to have more than just one artifact pattern!"

"To think your mastery in the Dao of Artifacts has actually reached such a level," True Lord Fierce Sun lamented, his pupils contracting violently after studying it closely.

"One main pattern and two auxiliary patterns, with all three complementing one another seamlessly. This can easily be called an exquisite masterpiece among one-pattern Magic Treasures!"

Rong Tianyang stared at Xu Deling in absolute disbelief.

Even he wouldn't be able to forge such an artifact so easily.

Didn't that mean this Foundation Establishment junior's forging prowess was already approaching his own level as a Golden Core Grandmaster Smith?

For Magic Treasures, every two engraved second-tier artifact patterns represented a leap in grade.

Anything with seven patterns or more was classified as a Top-Tier Magic Treasure.

Throughout the entire Heavenly Foundry Sect, there were only a select few capable of forging High-Grade Magic Treasures.

As for Top-Tier Magic Treasures, among the Golden Core cultivators, only True Lord Yanzhen was capable of forging them.

And as for the absolute limit of nine-pattern Magic Treasures, currently, the only person publicly known in the entire Heavenly South who could forge them was Zhen Yangzi of the Heavenly Foundry Sect.

Rumor had it that Zhen Yangzi was already capable of forging Spirit Treasures, though no concrete proof of this had ever been revealed.

As for the Spirit Treasures currently in the hands of various Nascent Soul experts, the vast majority had been unearthed from ancient Secret Realms or Grotto-Residences.

Taking a closer look, Perfected Person Fire Cloud also discovered its profound intricacies and asked in surprise, "Disciple, when did you learn this method of blending main and auxiliary patterns? I don't believe I've taught this to you yet, have I?"

Xu Deling replied, "Honored Master, it was a sudden stroke of inspiration. I felt that a single second-tier 'Suppress' pattern lacked perfection, yet adding another full second-tier pattern was beyond my capabilities. Thus, I decided to try adding two auxiliary patterns instead.

I didn't expect it to actually succeed."

The three men exchanged glances, speechless.

While adding first-tier auxiliary patterns wasn't quite as demanding as adding a second-tier artifact pattern, the difficulty was still immense. It heavily drained one's Divine Sense, and the slightest mistake could cause all their prior efforts to go up in smoke.

Xu Deling had never received systematic training in this regard. Relying solely on her own intuition and exploration, she succeeded on her very first try and held on until the refinement process was fully complete.

Her sheer Artifact Forging Talent and comprehension could only be described as monstrous.

"Excellent. As expected of my wonderful disciple."

Fire Cloud looked at Rong Tianyang and said, "Daoist Friend Rong, the outcome is quite obvious now, isn't it? As for the wager between us..."

Exhaling a long breath, Rong Tianyang said, "Zhu Shan's spot in the Flame Phoenix Blood Pool belongs to your disciple. I will explain the matter to the sect."

"Thank you," Fire Cloud said, cupping his fists.

"Thank you, Senior Rong," Xu Deling echoed gracefully.

True Lord Fierce Sun then spoke up, "Daoist Friend Fire Cloud, there is still over a month before the Flame Phoenix Blood Pool opens. In the meantime, the two of you may reside here at my Fierce Sun Peak.

When the time comes, Tianyang will personally escort your disciple to rendezvous with the others."

Thinking it over, Fire Cloud did not refuse, instead cupping his hands toward him. "Then I thank Senior Fierce Sun."

True Lord Fierce Sun gave a slight nod, then turned his gaze to Xu Deling. "Little Friend Xu, I intend to host a treasure appraisal assembly to allow the various Golden Core Grandmasters of my sect to inspect your work. Would that be alright with you?"

Bowing with her hands cupped, Xu Deling replied respectfully, "I will defer to the True Lord's arrangements."

"Tianyang, send out messages to the other Golden Core Perfected Persons. Inform them to gather at the plaza at the base of my Fierce Sun Peak to appraise the Magic Treasure forged by Xu Deling."

"Yes, Honored Master."

"Senior, please also be sure to notify that person named Zhu Rong. He still owes me that Heavenly King Spear, five tier 3 materials, and thirteen peak second-tier materials."

Rong Tianyang nodded, not refusing her request.

It took only a brief moment.

Upon receiving the news, a crowd of Golden Core Perfected Persons eagerly hurried over.

The Heavenly Foundry Sect Master also arrived, bringing Zhu Rong along with him.

An enormous number of Foundation Establishment disciples had similarly rushed over upon catching wind of the event.

An ordinary low-grade Magic Treasure would naturally never warrant such a massive commotion or a dedicated treasure appraisal assembly.

But a Magic Treasure forged by a Foundation Establishment stage cultivator made it completely worthwhile.

On the plaza.

Nearly every Golden Core Stage Cultivator in the Heavenly Foundry Sect who wasn't currently in life-and-death seclusion had gathered here.

The swarm of Foundation Establishment disciples were relegated to the outer perimeter, forced to watch from a distance.

"Senior Brother Fierce Sun, did that female blacksmith truly manage to forge a Magic Treasure?" a short, plump, middle-aged man with a stubby beard asked with a beaming smile.

"What else, Junior Brother Wen? Do you think your Senior Brother is just bored and trying to play a joke on everyone?"

"In that case, Senior Brother Fierce Sun, please bring out the Magic Treasure so we can all appraise it. Let us see how a Magic Treasure crafted by a Foundation Establishment female artifact forging genius differs from our own."

The man's words were practically dripping with an underlying intent to find faults.

True Lord Fierce Sun paid it no mind; he would let the Magic Treasure speak for itself.

"Everyone, please look!"

True Lord Fierce Sun flung his Sleeve Robe, sending a streak of pitch-black light shooting out to hover in midair.

Welcoming the wind, the Heaven-Overturning Seal expanded rapidly until it was roughly a meter and a half in size.

Hum-hum-hum—

Its sheer might was fully activated by True Lord Fierce Sun. Instantly, a mountain-like Pressure, accompanied by a unique sealing force, permeated the entire plaza.

The Golden Core Perfected Persons were fine, relying on their own spiritual pressure to offset it, though they still felt the effects of its suppression and mountainous momentum.

As for the remaining Foundation Establishment disciples, more than half of them were forced down onto one knee by the overwhelming weight.

Even those at Foundation Establishment Perfection could only grit their teeth and endure, their bodies trembling incessantly.

Staring up at the Magic Treasure hovering midair, Zhu Rong muttered, "This is the Magic Treasure she forged?!"

He had naturally seen countless Magic Treasures before and perfectly understood the might of ordinary ones.

This had blatantly exceeded those standards.

"That female cultivator forged this? How is that possible?"

"That is definitely no longer the Pressure of an ordinary one-pattern Magic Treasure, right?"

"Senior Brother Fierce Sun, you didn't just have your disciple forge one to save face and bring it out for us to appraise, did you?"

"Hmph, do you think I'm as bored and petty as you?"

The flock of Golden Core Stage Cultivators continued to gossip relentlessly.

As they all scrutinized it carefully, they naturally noticed the two auxiliary patterns woven around the primary 'Suppress' pattern.

Auxiliary patterns couldn't simply be tacked on randomly. If they didn't complement and empower each other perfectly, they would severely cripple the Magic Treasure's overall might instead.

Unable to conceal the sheer horror in their eyes, the many Golden Core experts all turned their heads toward the valiant, red-robed female cultivator standing bathed in sunlight nearby.

By virtue of this single display of her artifice technique alone, Xu Deling had already earned the undeniable right to stand on equal footing with them.

"Breathtakingly brilliant!"

"A peerless prodigy of the Dao of Artifacts!"

"Women Yield Not to Men!"

Countless praises cascaded from the mouths of these Golden Core Stage Cultivators.

True Lord Yanzhen smiled warmly. "Little girl, your name is Xu Deling, yes? Your Artifact Forging Talent is extraordinarily high. Are you willing to become my disciple?

"Among all the Golden Core cultivators in the Heavenly Foundry Sect, my artifice skills are undoubtedly the highest. I am fully capable of forging seven-pattern Top-Tier Magic Treasures.

"True Lord Fierce Sun beside you can only manage six patterns at most.

"A single difference in grade means a world of difference in a Magic Treasure's power."

True Lord Yanzhen endlessly propped himself up while stomping down on True Lord Fierce Sun, earning only exasperated chuckles and shakes of the head from the latter.

While Fierce Sun had indeed entertained the thought earlier, the moment Xu Deling produced a Magic Treasure like the Heaven-Overturning Seal, he had completely abandoned the idea.

The only person in the entire Heavenly Foundry Sect truly qualified to mentor a genius of this caliber was Grand Elder Zhen Yangzi.

He was absolutely certain that the two Grand Elders were already using their Divine Sense to monitor everything happening here.

'Your artifice techniques have certainly improved quite a bit over the years, but it seems your brain hasn't grown an inch,' True Lord Fierce Sun grumbled inwardly.

"Xu Deling, what do you think? Are you willing to take this old man as your master?" True Lord Yanzhen asked, stroking his beard with a faint smile.

Xu Deling stepped forward, cupping her hands. "Senior, this junior..."

Right at that very moment, two figures seemingly materialized out of thin air, standing with their hands behind their backs in the sky above the crowd. The faint pulse of Nascent Soul Pressure instantly shocked everyone present.

"Greetings, Grand Elders!"

Everyone present hurriedly bowed in greeting.

Perfected Person Fire Cloud and Xu Deling naturally didn't dare to act presumptuously either, lowering their heads in deep bows.

"There is no need for such formalities!" Yan Longzi stated coolly. "Yan Zhen, did I just hear you express your intent to take this junior as a disciple?"

"Yes, Martial Uncle Yan Longzi."

Yan Zhen's master belonged to the same generation as Yan Longzi, but having failed to step into the Nascent Soul realm, he had long since passed away.

"Xu Deling, you can consider this a little longer. Perhaps there is a far better candidate present."

Yan Zhen instantly grew panicked. "Martial Uncle Yan Longzi, do you intend to steal this disciple from your martial nephew?"

"Xu Deling is a remarkably rare genius in the Dao of Artifacts. Martial Uncle, your divine abilities are vast and immeasurable, but when it comes to the Dao of Artifacts..."

'I still need to give the Grand Elder some face. I'd better swallow the words 'not worth mentioning'.'

Yan Zhen muttered inwardly.

Yan Longzi chuckled. "So you genuinely believe that your mastery in artifice is the absolute highest among everyone here?"

"Excluding Martial Uncle Zhen Yangzi, then naturally, it is this martial nephew..." He abruptly snapped to his senses, his gaze shifting to Zhen Yangzi. "Martial Uncle Zhen Yangzi, do you intend to take a disciple?!"

Shock colored the faces of quite a few people present.

Yan Longzi had taken several disciples over the past two to three centuries. Sadly, only one had successfully formed a Golden Core, while the rest had perished during their tempering journeys. He hadn't taken any new disciples since.

However, Zhen Yangzi had stopped accepting disciples entirely over eight hundred years ago.

He held the highest seniority in the entire Heavenly Foundry Sect. His lineage could even be traced all the way back to the later years of the Revival Patriarch. Rumor had it that he had even received personal guidance from that very patriarch.

A Nascent Soul cultivator's absolute maximum Lifespan could reach one thousand seven hundred and forty years, and Zhen Yangzi was currently over one thousand three hundred years old, boasting a Mid-Stage Nascent Soul cultivation base.

As for Yan Longzi, he was over eight hundred years old and currently stuck at the peak of the Early-Stage Nascent Soul realm, having made absolutely zero progress for over a century.

"If you intend to take a disciple, Grand Elder Zhen Yangzi, then how could Yan Zhen dare to fight you for her?"

Seeing him shrinking back in fear, Zhen Yangzi shook his head and laughed softly. Turning his gaze to Xu Deling, he asked, "This old man does indeed intend to take you as a personal disciple. Are you willing?"

Perfected Person Fire Cloud trembled from head to toe. This was the undisputed number one figure in the Dao of Artifacts in the entire Heavenly South!

Nevertheless, he firmly believed that Xu Deling was entirely worthy of the honor.

Xu Deling's expression was marked by profound internal conflict.

"If you have any thoughts, simply speak them openly."

"If I speak the truth, Senior won't beat me to death, right?"

Everyone froze upon hearing this, but Zhen Yangzi burst into hearty laughter, stroking his beard. "This old man has lived for over a thousand years. Why would I stoop to haggling with a junior like you?"

Taking a deep breath, Xu Deling confessed, "Actually, I wanted to tell Senior Yan Zhen just a moment ago that I am unwilling."

"Why is that?" Zhen Yangzi asked curiously. "Yan Zhen possesses a Late-Stage Golden Core cultivation base, and his mastery in artifice truly is outstanding. Do you genuinely feel he is unworthy of being your Honored Master?

Or could it be that you only recognize this little friend Fire Cloud as your sole Honored Master?"

Xu Deling shook her head. "I naturally would never think that way. It's primarily because accepting a master would mean formally joining the Heavenly Foundry Sect, wouldn't it? In that case, wouldn't I have to stay within the Heavenly Foundry Sect forever?

My family's estate is far too distant from here, making travel immensely inconvenient.

The main reason I became my current Honored Master's disciple back then was simply because his residence was quite close to my family. It's only a few dozen kilometers away, so I can travel back and forth in an instant."

Hearing this answer, the crowd of Golden Core cultivators was left completely utterly dumbfounded.

Perfected Person Fire Cloud's lips twitched wildly. 'So I really just benefited from being conveniently close!'

'Isn't that reasoning a bit too casual?!'

"If that is your only reason, you could just have your family relocate to the vicinity of our Heavenly Foundry Sect."

"My grandfather most likely wouldn't agree to it. Unless there's a major calamity, he wouldn't carelessly uproot and move the entire family."

Usually, a family only moved if they had grown powerful enough to require a far more suitable spiritual land, or if they were facing an existential disaster and had no choice but to relocate to preserve their lineage.

"If your grandfather is the one managing the family, then it seems your family's history is still incredibly brief."

"Answering Senior, compared to you, it must seem exceedingly brief. After all, my grandfather is still a few years away from reaching the age of one hundred and twenty."

Upon hearing this, the crowd was once again deeply shocked.

That was far too brief; a family that young was practically on the brink of collapse at any given moment.

Families that rose and fell within just a century or two were innumerable throughout the Heavenly South.

In Zhen Yangzi's eyes, only Golden Core Aristocratic Families with at least several centuries of foundational heritage could barely warrant a second glance.

Pondering for a moment, Zhen Yangzi offered, "If this old man is willing to make an exception for you, allowing you the absolute freedom to decide whether you stay in the Heavenly Foundry Sect or not...

I can even authorize the establishment of a Heavenly Foundry Sect branch in the region where your family resides.

Under such terms, are you willing to become my personal disciple and join my Heavenly Foundry Sect?"

True Lord Fierce Sun and the others were shaken to their cores. They never expected Grand Elder Zhen Yangzi to be willing to concede so much just for Xu Deling.

Even Xu Deling herself found it somewhat hard to believe.

They would establish an entire branch sect just for her?!

Plunging into deep thought, Xu Deling recalled, 'Grandfather once said that there is no such thing as unearned grace. For a Nascent Soul Grand Elder to make such a colossal concession, his true goal must be to completely bind me to the Heavenly Foundry Sect.

Is he afraid that when I fully mature in the future, I will establish an artifact forging faction capable of standing as equals against the Heavenly Foundry Sect?'

'Going too far is just as bad as not doing enough.'

Having figured this out, Xu Deling bowed deeply with cupped hands. "This junior, Xu Deling, is willing to take Senior Zhen Yangzi as her Honored Master."

"Congratulations, Senior Brother, on taking such an exceptional disciple!"

The others hurriedly cupped their hands and echoed, "Congratulations, Grand Elder Zhen Yangzi, on receiving such an outstanding disciple!"

"We greet Junior Sister Deling."

Witnessing this grand scene, Perfected Person Fire Cloud muttered inwardly, 'Daoist Friend Xu, your Xu Family is about to truly ascend!'

Zhen Yangzi stroked his beard and nodded slightly, decreeing, "The disciple acceptance ceremony will be held in one month."

The Heavenly Foundry Sect Master immediately responded, "This disciple understands. I shall spread the news to all major factions in the southern region."

"Little Friend Fire Cloud, you may reside temporarily in our Heavenly Foundry Sect during this time."

"Thank you, Senior."

With that said, Zhen Yangzi swept his Sleeve Robe out, enveloping Xu Deling as he and Yan Longzi transformed into streaks of light, soaring far into the distance.

Merely moments later, they arrived at the secluded cultivation retreat in the back mountains of the main peak.

"Such dense Spiritual Qi," Xu Deling exclaimed in pure amazement.

"Martial Niece Xu, this peak contains a mid-grade tier 4 Spirit Vein along with several tier 3 Spirit Veins. Naturally, the Spiritual Qi is incredibly rich. It will be immensely beneficial for your Core Formation, increasing your chances of success by at least ten to twenty percent,"

Yan Longzi explained with a smile.

Xu Deling cupped her hands. "Martial Uncle, to speak the truth, this martial niece has already resolved to walk the Divine Ability Golden Core Path."